Notícias
COMMUNICATION
Brazil adopts OECD Recommendation on Information Integrity
OECD Recommendation aims to establish a comprehensive and applicable framework for public policies so that member- and non-member countries can address the threats posed by information manipulation - Credit: Freepik
The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) approved a Recommendation this Tuesday, December 17, on Information Integrity, at the request of the Public Governance Committee (PGC). Brazil declared its adoption of the Recommendation, which aligns with international efforts by the government such as the introduction of the issue of information integrity in the Inter-Ministerial Declaration of the G20 Digital Economy Working Group and the country's adoption of the United Nations Global Principles for Information Integrity.
The OECD Recommendation aims to establish a comprehensive and applicable framework for public policies so that member- and non-member countries can address the threats posed by information manipulation, in accordance with the universal human rights of freedom of opinion and expression.
The recommendations are divided into three main pillars:
- Strengthening social resilience, aiming to increase society's capacity to resist disinformation and other forms of information manipulation, emphasizing media education and corporative accountability.
- Increasing transparency, accountability, and the plurality of information sources, proposing measures to improve the understanding of information flow and encouraging innovation and research by both academics and civil society.
- Modernizing institutional architecture and open government practices, suggesting that governments improve their structure and practices to strengthen information integrity and transparency, such as strengthening electoral processes and international cooperation, as well as training public officials.
The OECD recommendations now apply to all 38 member countries (including Australia, Chile, Denmark, Germany, Mexico, Portugal, the United States, Canada, France, among others). Although Brazil is not an OECD member and adherence does not generate direct obligations, the country is committed to aligning its efforts with the recommendations. Such practice can be observed in other areas of Brazil’s domestic policies, including efforts to combat misinformation about public policies—particularly on vaccination, public health, and media literacy—and in its international initiatives. A key example is the Global Initiative for Information Integrity on Climate Change, developed through a partnership between Brazil, the UN, and UNESCO, and a direct outcome of Brazil’s leadership during its G20 presidency. The Initiative will coordinate countries and international organizations in a joint effort to promote and defend information integrity on climate change. Chile, Denmark, France, Morocco, the United Kingdom, and Sweden have already joined, and other countries have expressed interest in becoming a part of the Initiative.